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I love Florida’s kitsch and palms, but I despise its eternal sunshine that burns my skin to a crisp – its oppressively humid weather that makes me want to sleep till dusk. This time we lucked out; it rained the entire week we were there. There was a chill in the air; holy shit, it was just like home! Weeki Wachee (isn’t that name amazing?) is home to the world-famous mermaid show, and despite how cheesy that may sound, the women who slip into their tails and do water ballet in the natural spring tank are impressive to watch. Sitting in the painfully freezing mermaid theater on worn wooden benches from the 1940s made me feel as if I had stepped back in time, and when we emerged out into the stormy afternoon, I expected to see a line of sirens on Highway 19 beckoning unsuspecting travelers into their underwater world.

They ARE real women in those fantastic costumes – and quite talented swimmers for sure. I was surprised at how relaxing it was too watching them swim in that tank (much like watching pet fish, I suppose, he he).